Chapter 10: Ebony Wood and White Ivory: The Jungle Hunt (Part 2)

Support me and Be 20 chapters ahead of webnovel:

patreon.com/Draco_

*******

Grandpa was an experienced hunter, but now, with Uncle Vernon having grown into a massive figure, he was unable to follow in his father's footsteps. Naturally talented Harry became Grandpa's heir, receiving his affection and attention, while Grandma favored Dali. The love of the elderly couple was equally divided between the two.

For Harry, tracking game in the forest was not particularly difficult. His keen eyesight was far superior to that of most people, and his dynamic vision was exceptionally sharp—he could even discern the spin of a fast-moving tennis ball. At school, Harry earned the nickname "Tennis Prince" and had quite a few admirers.

This natural talent made Harry an exceptionally skilled hunter.

"Are there any goats around here?" Harry asked himself as he used a stick to clear away fresh droppings on the ground. The presence of the droppings indicated that a small herd of goats was nearby—about four adults and three kids. It was late July, and the kids were around 4-6 months old, the prime time for tender meat. If he couldn't find a deer, catching a kid would still be a good choice. Tonight, he could roast a lamb and make a stew with a lamb's head. Harry was very fond of such meals.

He followed the direction indicated by the droppings and soon crested a small hill. Harry moved with increasing caution, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of game.

Suddenly, his ears twitched. A sense of danger made him dart sideways. There were bears in this forest, and Harry had seen one before. However, bears generally don't trouble humans unless very hungry. Predators like these usually prefer familiar prey and only attack if necessary.

A flash of magic narrowly missed Harry, and he quickly turned to see a disheveled man with a look of confusion and shock. The man wore tattered robes, clearly torn by thorns during his run through the forest. He was carrying a heavy bag in one hand.

A wizard! And one with malicious intent!

As this thought crossed Harry's mind, he swiftly raised his wand. However, the man's trigger-finger was noticeably quicker. The spell's flight speed couldn't match the energy pulse beam of Harry's hunting rifle, but at such a short range, the difference in speed was significantly reduced.

Harry's abrupt turn prevented him from continuing to fire. His hunting TTS pulse rifle was hit by a red spell and was knocked out of his hands, landing several meters away.

'It's the Disarming Charm.'

Harry's mind was unusually clear at this moment. After seeing his weapon sent flying, the disheveled man evidently relaxed his guard. But he knew Harry was quick, so he closed in to increase his chances of hitting him with a spell.

A Muggle disarmed and unarmed could still contend with a wizard?

A smirk of contempt crossed the man's lips. "Kid, I'm not going to kill you if you help me with a small task."

The man's gun barrel drooped slightly, but Harry noticed a glint of cunning in his eyes!

'Now's the time!'

Harry sidestepped to the left, swiftly drawing the ebony wand from beneath his coat, and raised the wand's barrel.

"Expelliarmus!"

'Bang~ Bang~'

The simultaneous discharge of spells created dazzling flashes in mid-air. The man's face showed clear astonishment. How had this Muggle suddenly turned into a wizard?!

The high-power single-shot spell of the ebony wand was not ideal for this situation, and Harry, off-balance, couldn't spin around to draw the white ivory wand.

But this shot created an opportunity. He lifted his coat and grabbed his Glock G18.

The disheveled wizard in front of him was clearly more experienced in combat. After a brief moment of surprise, he quickly resumed firing. The advantage of the silent spell was evident here; while Harry needed to recite the spell, the man could shoot immediately.

With Harry being suppressed, he quickly sought cover behind a protruding rock. But before he could steady himself, the rock was shattered by an explosive sound. The Blast Charm had destroyed a third of the rock, making the already precarious shelter even more vulnerable.

Suddenly, the gunfire ceased. The man seemed to be in even greater trouble, as more sounds came from behind. Harry heard a clear curse.

"Damn Aurors! Once I'm out of the Disillusionment Charm's range, I'm going to make you bastards pay!"

He cursed vehemently, and soon four or five figures burst out from the dense bushes. The man cast an Explosion Charm, but it was blocked by a magical shield, sending a shower of broken branches and leaves flying.

"Wait for me!"

He threw the bag he was carrying, his face showing clear reluctance, but he needed to resolve the situation quickly.

A spell that followed immediately ripped open the bag, and a heavy thud announced the release of a monstrous beast. The creature, with sharp horns and a mottled purple-gray hide, stood at least three meters tall and was several times more robust than a Shire horse. As it landed, the already aggressive beast charged at the Aurors. Seeing his chance, the disheveled man made a quick dash to escape.

But he forgot that there was still one person present.

Harry gripped his ebony wand and white ivory wand, his sharp gaze locked on the fleeing figure as he raised both wands.

"Stupefy!"

He pulled the trigger of the white ivory wand, and the Glock G18 unleashed an astonishing barrage of spells.

Though three shots per second might not seem very fast, spells travel visibly slower than supersonic bullets. This high-speed, stable shooting created a terrifyingly dense spray of red spells.

The flood of spells carved a horizontal line through the air. The disheveled man's eyes widened in disbelief. How could this young wizard, who looked no older than a third or fourth-year student, be so adept at casting spells?

He hastily activated the Protego Charm, but it could barely hold up against the barrage from the white ivory wand for even two seconds.

With a slightly muted gunshot, the ebony wand fired a high-power spell that shattered the Protego shield and struck him in the side.

The disheveled man collapsed instantly, and the white ivory wand fired two more shots to ensure he stayed unconscious.

The Aurors, entangled with the purple-gray beast, were also stunned. A round-faced female Auror nearly got gored by the beast's horns, narrowly avoiding it when a comrade pulled her out of harm's way.

"Signal to drop the Disillusionment Charm! Quickly!"

Someone raised a FAMAS and fired a three-shot burst into the sky as a signal.

"Watch out! The horned beast has been drugged by that scum!"

An Auror clutching his shoulder screamed in pain. The beast had bitten a large chunk of flesh from his arm, and its sharp horns had nearly gutted him.

"Get the Disillusionment Charm off quickly! You idiots!"

After losing one of their own, the remaining three found it even harder to deal with the rampaging horned beast. The beast seemed almost immune to their spells, with skin tougher than dragonhide offering high resistance to magic.

"Retreat! Retreat! Tonks, Leo, take Wood and fall back. Get clear and wait for the Disillusionment Charm to be lifted!"

"I'll draw its attention. You guys move fast! We need at least ten people to knock this thing out!"

The team leader's Beretta was replaced with a Remington M870 shotgun. "Look at me! You beast!"

(End of Chapter)